Machine for extracting lead from its ore



Jan. 8, 1946. v, DE S AZO 2,392,526

MACHINE FOR EXTRACTING LEAD FROM ITIS ORES Filed July 29, 1944 4 Sheets -Sheet 1 INVENTOR. I I

' '0.V. DESHAzo ayagza Jan 8, 1946. o. v. DE SHAZO MACHINE FOR EXTRACTING LEAD FROM ITS ORES Filed July 29, 1944 4 Sheets-Shee t 2 INVENTOR. 0.V. DESI- A20 Jan. 8, 1946. v O; v E SHAZO 2,392,526

MACHINE FOR EXTRACTING LEAD FROM ITS ORES Filed July 29, 1944 4 SheeQS-SheGt. 3

IN V EN TOR.

0;VDES'1-mzo BY Jan.8, 1946. 0. V. DE SHAZO MACHINE FOR EXTRACTING LEAD FROM ITS ORES Fi'led Ju1y29, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 2 v INVENTbR. YQV DESHAZO' mm Qm w M S QQWHRN. MN

Patented Jan. 8, 1946 MACHINE FORFXTRACTING rrs one i I I 2,392,526

OFFICE LEAD FROM Orville V. De Shazo, Wichita, Kant, assignor of fifty per cent to Nora L. De S hazo, Wichita,

Application July 29, 1944, Serial No. 547,235

'1 Claim.

This invention relates to a machine for extracting lead from its ore and has for its Principal object a machine for continuous smelting of ore that is reduced to a powder like comminution termed as lead sulphate, then being delivered to the machine for further treatment, the principle of which is, by the introduction of a high degree of heat produced from burning acetylene gas or the like as the ore is conveyed thereto by the machine.

A further object of this invention is to produce a machine that will automatically mold the lead into bars and dispose of the residue consisting of dust-like substance from which the lead has been removed by fusion, the dust being disposed of by a vacuum fan to remove the same from a retort chamber in which the lead sulphate is conveyed steadily and continuously while the machine is in operation.

A still further object of this inventionwis to produce a machine forextracting lead from ore that is inexpensive to construct, comparatively small, easily moved from place to place and set for further action. 1

'Theseand other objects will hereafter be more fully explained, reference being had to theac-r companying drawings forming a part of this specification, and wherein like characters will apply to like parts in the different views.

Referring to the drawings: I

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the machine.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view through the machine longitudinally, parts broken away for convenience of illustration.

Fig. 3 is a corner plan view of and moulds for bars of lead.

Fig. 4 is an end view fragmentarily of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a front end elevation of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a rear elevation of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged view of the torch holder having one torch in view, and taken on line 1--! in Fig. 2.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view of the screen and spout taken on line 8-8 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 9 is a plan View of the machine.

Fig. 10 is a side view done of the chain belt sprockets and conveyor bars.

Fig. 11 is a plan view of a portion of the conveyor, taken on line lI-|l in Fig. 12.

Fig. 12 is a sectional view taken on line I2--l2 in Fig. 9, said section also applying to sides of the trough rearward of the retort chamber.

As a more concise description of the invention, it will be seen that the structure consists of a frame comprising legs I mounted on a rectanguthe belt conveyor lar frame 2, said legs being stabilized by diagonal brace members 3 and plate 4. Positioned onthe top of the frame is a trough consisting of s des 5, a bottom 6, and a hopper 1 at the longitudinal center of the trough, the sides of which and their respective sides of thehopper being integrally joined while their right angle sides are spaced upward from the bottom and has an adjustable plate 8 carried by bolts 9 to function as a gauge for the depth of the lead sulphate conveyed from the hopperto a retort chamber later described.

The conveyor for the trough preferably consists of fire clay bars Ill that are reinforced longitudinally with rods H and rods l2, the latter being ad acent the edges of the bars where they meet, last said rods extending outward as at A to engage the knuckle joints B of links l3 of a chain belt whereby the bars are rockably carried by the chain and being in close contact with each other, the edges 01 the bars being concavoconvex in cross section to coincide with each other whereby one of adjacent bars will carry the edge of the other bar and permit the same to rock as they pass around sprocket wheels 14 that are mounted at the ends of said conveyor trough through the medium of their respective shafts I5 that are journalled in suitable bearings 16 that are secured to the frame of the machine. The shaft at the rear end of the machine extends outward at one side thereof as shown in Figs. 6 and 9 and having secured thereon a gear I"! in mesh with a pinion 18 that is likewise journalled on the frame by a shaft 19 that extends outward and has a sheave 20 secured thereto that is power driven through the medium of a, belt 21, the speed ratio being to drive the conveyor belt at a low rate of speed for the purpose later described.

Positioned at the other end of the frame and being removably secured to the sides of the trough is a retort chamber in working relation to the conveyor for lead sulphate. said retort chamber comprised of a metallic shell consisting of a semicircular member 22, the length of which is equal to the width of the conveyor trough, the ends of said member being closed by heads 23 removably secured by cap screws 24 applied in spaced relation along the circular member as shown. The said metallic portion of the retort chamber is lined with fire clay 25 that coincides with the metallic form as fireproofing means therefor during fusion of lead sulphate conveyed therein. It will be seen that the terminal edges of the semicircular body of the retort chamber is spaced upward from the conveyor to permit a predetermined depth of the lead sulphate in the trough to pass thereunder but practically close the space 1 while a free circulation of air into the chamber will occur at the other edge during an exhaust outward through pipe 26 that is centrally posi- 5 tioned in the arc of the shell and being conducted by an exhaust fan, or the like, s'aidlfan not being included in the drawings, whereby as the mass of lead sulphate is disintegrated, the dust therea chain of moulds 28 that are moved step by s ep as the same are filled with the rr loulten leadr g g The fusion for the separation of lead from the ore, is through the medium of burners 2H,"a'pIurallty of which is illustrated in Fig. 9, said burner's beingisupportedf'on the frame by a bar so having a portion at "each end thereof bent at right angle to be engaged by bolts' 3U saidbol't's extending through sl'ot's'f3l' v'vhe'r'eb'yv the burners maybe raised and lowered and also rocked to slant the burners from 'a" horizontal plane for a desired adjustment so that the streams ofburning gas'will'pehetrate the ore as the same is 1 slowly conveyed'theretoward; It will'befseen' that each burner'is ad'justably' carried by itsres'p'ectiv' chamber'where' they enter the'mouth thereof. It

will'alsobe seen that each said burner has its respective 'gas'supply pipe 34 and valve 35 to'control the flow of gasjthe' source of'which is not shownin the drawings.

by the rocking action of a lever llll having a spring tensioned pawl 4| to engage a toothed wheel 42 that is secured to one of the sprocket wheel "shafts and by reciprocating movement of the lever the moulds are moved a distance of their width to register with the stream of moulten lead I as it drains from the retort chamber, and at each movement a mould willgravitatedlydischarge its bar of lead as shown in Fig. 2, said bars being rel'ceived by a container 43 carried by the frame if sodesired.

a While I have shown and described specific forms for various elements of the invention such as the length and'width of the machine and sides of the hopper being integral with the sides of the trough and an'exact form for the retort chamber and other elements in the structure not men- 'tiOned; I do notdesire to be restricted to such exclusively as the same may be modified without departure from the spirit of this invention as lie withinithe scope of the appending claim.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentisz;

7 In a machine for extracting lead from its ore, a trough having side walls and a-bottom, the side walls being-lined inward with fireproof material, alhQpper for the trough near one end thereof, a retort chamber having an opening for its. lower extremity and adapted to overhang the other end Oflthe trough, removableand replaceablefireproof lining for the retort chamber, said retort chamber having a *conductqrfpipe connected thereto at its upper extremitytoc onvey dust-like substance from the chambenaplurality of acetylene burners directed toward and beneath the retortchamberas disintegrating means for ore as it approaches the opening of the retort chamber, and, a conveyor in thetrough bottom com- V'Referrir'ig again'tothe'lead containing moulds, 4 0 prised of'fireeproof cross bars as' conductors for ifiwill'bsen that the moulds are rockably earriedby'chain beltS'SB at' the ends of the moulds where pins 37 integral with them'oulds engage through links o'f theenam to rockably carry. the V moulds side bysideandfthe saidchains' 'arein 45 mesh their respective sprocket Whe1S 3 8 that are journalledin thsaid'slde plates through the medium dftheinslia fts 36"} the irfioulds slidablyen'gagingon a plate 39 that is carried by the frame'and'moved'theieoverstepby'step'as'filld machine herein set. 'forth..'

with the moulten lead; the movement or whichis oretowardand beneath said retort chamber, a

strainer positioned j on aniincline plane across and beneath the terminal end of the conveyor beneath said retort chamber, conveyor chains and troughs juxta positionedland secured to the hains; ea ,mea sto jiengage the chains and means 7 to turn the gears manually step by Jstep as the troughs are iilled by the molten metal, and frame means toj carry,,componentsloil-tlie 

